


Clearer x Skies

by olivemeister



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, M/M, Reunions, Tanabata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 05:16:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7421422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivemeister/pseuds/olivemeister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sunny Tanabata, letting them meet.</p><p>A Tanabata-themed birthday fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clearer x Skies

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this fic at 5am after being like "I'm not going to write anything specifically for Killua's birthday". But then I'm a dang idiot who can't help himself.
> 
> If you're curious about Tanabata/Killua's birthday, [I wrote a meta post a while back about it](http://olivemeister.tumblr.com/post/144588334745/killua-july-7th-and-the-significance-of-his). (Edit: tumblr did something stupid recently and my theme is now Weird, sorry if it's hard to read. I can't fix anything yet.) This fic borrows heavily from the legend, to the point of essentially dropping Killua and Gon into Orihime and Hikoboshi's places, so a familiarity with it will make it more enjoyable I think!

Down the road, onto the soaked earth, the heavy tap of sandals against dirt. Through the thickets of bamboo, this year bare. It was too wet to hang wishes, had been too windy and gloomy for so many hours. But Killua didn’t dwell. After a day of rain that had darkened his heart, he had finally gotten what he had longed for.

Bright skies – what he had been denied so many times.

He heard the sound of the river long before he saw it, the river that he hated and loved all at once. He should have only hated it, hated the rushing water that flowed too fast, too strong to ever hope to cross. But instead it brought such a mixture of emotions that were too powerful to sort through. Because on the other side, for one day only, there was…

“Gon!”

At the same time, he seemed so far away and yet close enough to almost touch. He waved frantically, his eyes bright and excited. The sight of him, jumping up and down like a maniac, was almost enough to bring Killua to tears. And, though it was faint, he could hear Gon’s shout.

“Killua! Over here, I’m over here!”

Laughing, Killua cupped his mouth with his hands to yell back. Gon was so stupid, filling his chest with such wonderful pain. “You think I can’t see you making a fool of yourself!?”

Even as Gon beamed at him, the sound of leaves starting to rustle sounded behind him. Killua gripped the front of his clothes tightly in his hands, feeling his eyes burn even as he tried desperately to hold back. Droning chirps accompanied flapping wings, and suddenly dozens of soft bodies were pushing at his back, darting around his feet as they urged him forward. Several magpies broke away from the flock, winging across the expanse of the river with such ease that it still filled him with jealousy. But the sight of them swooping around Gon, nudging him and sounding off with those loud, coarse calls, only drowned the thought out with eager anticipation.

Killua held a hand out, palm down, and smiled at the familiar touch of tiny talons on his skin. The bird looked at him, cocking her head expectantly. Waiting for his request.

“Hello,” he said, and his voice sounded strained and choked already. “Will you help me cross again?”

The excited peep that sounded in response made him laugh. On the other side of the river, a swarm of dark black bodies were already pecking at Gon’s clothes, circling his feet to get him to pick them up, to move forward. And now the magpies were tugging at him as well, and he didn’t need to think twice. Killua pulled his sandals off, and at the same time dozens of beaks and claws clamped down on the soft fabric of his clothing, hundreds of wings flapping in unison. No matter how ridiculous it felt, having a flock of magpies lifting him off his feet and swooping beneath them, it didn’t matter.

It meant he could see Gon, could catch him in his arms, could hold on tight and make the most of the day they had.

The soft touch of feathers beneath his feet and against his back was reassuring as he regained his balance, teetering back and forth. Gon was moving already, his steps light and fast as he jumped from bird to bird. The magpies swirled and squawked under them, and Killua let his voice join theirs in a burst of excited laughter.

The black bridge formed between them, made of bright eyes and quick wings, almost seeming to spirit Killua away as he climbed into the sky. Each step was steady and smooth – he could leave it all to the magpies, could focus solely on what was in front of him. Gon, dashing forward to meet him.

It was like jumping across stepping stones in the air, each mass of birds barely sinking under his feet. And he could hear Gon laughing, throwing his arms out to pet at the birds swirling around them even as he ran. Wanting to give his thanks already, though he was so eager. It was something about Gon he loved so dearly, one facet of him that had been the reason he had fallen so hard and so fast. Each step brought him closer, and Killua broke out into a run, trusting so completely in his footing. The birds wouldn’t let him fall. He could rely on them. It was Gon he wanted, Gon he needed, Gon who needed him. He ran and Gon ran to him, their footsteps silently bringing them together.

Killua let out a peal of laughter at the sight of Gon as his thighs tensed and released, the bright and almost mischievous look on his face as he jumped. He threw his arms out, knowing his expression was stupid, knowing it screamed of love and all the overpowering warmth that came with it. But Gon’s weight was in his arms, Gon’s laughter was in his ears, and he didn’t care about anything else.

Gon’s hands cupped his cheeks, coarse and warm and solid, and when their lips found each others’ it was just as real. Even as tears started to stream down his flushed face, Gon grinned at him.

“I wanted to see you, Killua,” he said, and it wasn’t until Gon brushed the tears away that Killua realized he was crying as well. Any other day, he might have scoffed, tried to hide it. Now, he only crushed their lips together again, letting Gon’s tears mix with his and fall down to the river below.

“Me too,” Killua whispered, and for a moment all they could do was squeeze each other tightly, reveling in that embrace. Gon breathed deep, taking in his scent for the first time in a year. His heart felt full for the first time in a year. Everything was okay, for the first time in a year. He had Gon and Gon had him, high out of reach of anyone who wanted to tear them apart. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too. I was so excited, and I was so! I was so scared, I was scared it wouldn’t stop raining and I wouldn’t get to see Killua at all. I didn’t want to wait, I...” Killua bumped his forehead against Gon’s, winding his arms around his neck as his words faded into tears. Even crying like that, with his nose running and his teeth gritted against hiccuping sobs, Gon was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “W-when I thought, I might have to wait a whole ‘nother year, to see Killua! I was scared, I didn’t know what to do!”

“I know,” he started, his voice hitching and destroying the rest. Everything was spilling out anyway, down his cheeks in streams of tears that spoke louder than his words ever could. The fear and resigned disappointment that came with cloudy skies, how much Killua hated the rain. He knew Gon could read it on his face – that he had been terrified of being denied yet again, and was overwhelmed with joy now. “I know, don’t say anything, I know.”

Gon kissed him with wet lips instead, and Killua gasped as Gon’s grip on him tightened. It was all the warning he got before Gon had picked him up bodily, and he could only wrap himself around the other boy to hold on. Despite everything, Gon’s footing was steady. They didn’t wobble at all even as they spun together again in tight circles, laughing and crying all the way. “Killua, Killua!”

“Don’t yell, I’m right here! I’m here, I’m right here!” It was true, and Killua couldn’t help how his voice rose. They were flying together, the rush of the river so far below them, only able to hear the chattering of magpies and the sound of their own voices twining together. “I’m here, so don’t you dare let go of me!”

“I won’t!” Gon’s beaming grin was all he had thought about for days, and seeing it in person was even better than the smiles living in his memories. He was warm and safe and real in his arms, and nothing could compare to that. Killua let his hands rest on Gon’s arms, kissing his cheeks, his forehead, his eyelids, his chin, his lips, until Gon was laughing breathlessly and squirming from each touch. “Killua, that tickles!”

“I know,” Killua snorted, wrapping his legs tighter around Gon’s waist. He knew Gon really liked it, that he was only pretending to be upset by the onslaught. “What are you going to do about it, huh?”

“I guess I’ll have to do… This!” Gon’s lips caught his, and he didn’t resist in the slightest. Instead, he only let himself be swept away in it, kissing Gon and holding Gon, being held in the sky. When their lips parted again, Gon sighed, and slowly set him down once more. “Killua, I love you.”

“Yeah… me too.” Killua slid his hand down Gon’s arm, until he could lace their fingers together. Gon gripped his hand tightly, with that wonderful, sappy smile on his face. Together, they walked across that flying bridge to Gon’s side of the river, their bare feet on grass once more. In the distance, Killua could see the cows grazing, and he only smiled at them as he wiped the tears from his face. “I love you so much. And you smell like a cow fart.”

It made Gon bark in laughter, his cheeks reddening. For a moment, Killua thought he would pull away to sniff at his clothes, as if he thought the words had been serious.

“I didn’t have any time to change,” he said teasingly, before growing a little more serious. “I ran the whole way. Killua, did you? When it stopped raining, I just couldn’t wait!”

“Stupid, do you have to ask?” Before he could say anything more, Gon was pressing another kiss against his lips. His expression was so soft that it ached in his chest. Slowly, Killua closed his eyes. It was his day to be with Gon, Gon’s day to be with him. A day for all the bottled up emotions inside them to finally be released, together.

The flock of magpies were dispersing, taking perches on branches and chittering quietly. They seemed content to stay there, as if they were watching over them as they walked.

“Happy birthday,” Gon whispered, and the warmth inside of him was hard to ignore. They had so little time, such a brief window to be themselves, together. He had to make the best of it, to pack as much into every second as he could. “Killua, happy-”

“Thanks,” he laughed, brushing his nose against Gon’s. He squeezed the other boy’s hand, and was delighted by the squeeze he got back. They had no time to waste, they both knew. Even then, they couldn’t stray too far from the river bank, couldn’t simply run away together. No matter how much he wanted to. It was the only time of the year that he was ever truly honest, even to himself. “Gon, just… For a little bit…”

“Mm...”

“Just for a bit” - hidden away amongst the bamboo, with their arms tight around each other. He could hold Gon, they could be together, just for a moment. Just for a moment, they could be carefree. Just for a moment, Killua could forget that he would have to let go.

Later, even as dusk fell, they were still laughing and smiling, dipping their feet in the river and basking in one another. The river’s flow had lessened, still rough and loud but nowhere near the flood that had been racing down the riverbed earlier. The water rushed past, tickling at his feet as he listened to Gon.

“And even though I said it wasn’t important, Leorio still kept offering. It was really funny!”

“Ehhh? He’s stupid! How long did he think you’d be away? It’s one day!” Gon giggled, snuggling closer to him. He snorted in response, resting his cheek against the top of Gon’s head. “Tell him I said he’s stupid.”

“Okay,” Gon laughed, kicking his feet in the water and splashing them both. Killua grabbed the other boy’s fingers, bringing them to his mouth to kiss his knuckles. It made him gasp quietly, but then he was letting out another stream of giggles. They seemed to bubble out of him, making his chest tight. “Killua, that’s really cu-”

“Shut up, let me have this,” Killua muttered, turning Gon’s hand over in his. He ran his thumb across Gon’s palm, just taking in the sight of it for a moment. When he laced their fingers together again, it felt good. Gon’s hands fit his after all – not perfect, but more than good enough. They hadn’t been made for each other, but their lives had overlapped nonetheless. They’d become people who fit together. “I can’t believe how much I love you.”

“I know. I know! I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone the way I love Killua. That’s why I’m so happy, right now. Getting to see you…” Gon quieted, pulling his legs out of the water and tucking his knees against his chest. He made no move to take his hand back, just gripping Killua’s fingers gently. “It makes me happy. Just thinking about Killua, knowing I’ll be able to see you… When things aren’t so fun, I think of you, and it helps.”

“Yeah… Me too. Even when I hate it and it sucks, I can just… Put it aside, and know that I’ll see you. It makes it worth it, you know? Even when it’s awful, when it’s just the worst… When it’s over, you’ll be there. And it’s not forever. It can’t be forever.”

“No,” Gon breathed, and his arm around his waist tightened. “It won’t be forever. I won’t let it be. One day, really soon, we can…”

“Just be like this, every day.”

“And other things! We’ll be able to go places again, to go on adventures… It’ll be soon, I know it. I know it! It won’t be much longer that we have to wait. Just a little longer, when we’re a little older. So, until then… Will you wait for me, Killua?”

“I waited all this time, didn’t I? To be able to see you. I’ll keep waiting. But I won’t just sit around! I’m doing my best too, you know.” Gon’s lips pressed against his cheek, warm and soft. Killua turned his head enough to catch them with his own, tightening his grip on Gon’s hand. A day of kisses wasn’t enough to make up for a year without them, but he could try. He could continue to drown Gon in a year’s affection, could spill it out from every pore of his body, could write it on every inch of his body. “Because I love you.”

For a moment neither of them spoke, just watching the stars rise in the sky as the sun set. Despite how beautiful the night sky was, how lovely it was to hold Gon’s hand and look up at it, they both knew what it meant, both hated it.

“I don’t want to let go,” Gon said, and the words hurt more than any blade. Killua stared up at the darkening sky, squeezing Gon’s palm. It had been too brief. He wanted to steal it back, the time he could have spent with Gon that had been taken from him. To rage and scream, to fight it, to never go back. Instead, he held Gon’s hand, and tried not to think about how little time they had left.

“I know,” he whispered. “Me neither.”

“Killua, dance with me?” It took him by surprise, but before Killua even knew how to reply, his response was spilling from his lips.

“Yeah…”

Gon pulled him to his feet, as the stars climbed into the sky. It was almost over, but they still had that moment. As long as his hand was in Gon’s, it wouldn’t end. No matter how hard anyone tried, nothing could erase what he felt. It was something no one could touch, something just for them.

Killua wound his arms around Gon’s shoulders. In the bamboo, he could see the magpies gathered, still there to bear witness. He didn’t care who saw – the birds, the world. He was so sick of hiding. His eyes met hers, the one who he begged the favor of each year. Killua wondered if she understood, that magpie.

The flutter of wings around him made him want to cry out - “No, not yet, not yet!”. But it wasn’t time to part, and the chattering magpies weren’t ushering him away. They wouldn’t take him from Gon yet, wouldn’t bring him back to his family and that stifling, awful life. Not yet. It wasn’t time to go. For now, at least, all he would do was dance.

“Killua,” Gon sighed, and Killua knew they had had the same thought. Not wanting to let go – but they didn’t have to, not yet.

“Come with me?” He knew Gon didn’t understand, not until he took a step forward, towards the river. But then his puzzled expression melted into a smile, and they moved together as the birds gathered. It was as if they knew, understood what Killua had in mind. There was no bridge, no way to swim across the river, no way to make it on his own. But he wasn’t on his own and the magpies rose under their feet, letting them climb higher and higher into the sky above the Milky Way.

There, above the world, Killua felt like he could see everything. The lights in the distance, shining villages they would someday visit. Hills and mountains, faintly illuminated by the rising moon and stars, rivers so much smaller than the one that parted them each year trickling into the vast oceans of space. So many places he’d never dreamed of before Gon, so many places he wanted to go together.

“We’ll see them all, someday,” Gon said, and Killua could only nod. His hands were in Gon’s, their footing steady and unyielding. No matter how they stepped, he knew it was safe. No matter how high they rose, there would always be someone to catch them. They wouldn’t fall – they’d never fall, not from the sky nor out of love.

They were spinning together, suspended above the river of the Milky Way, and he didn’t care how obvious his love was. More than that, he wanted it to be.

Killua hoped the whole world could see them, dancing there in the sky. He hoped that they could be seen everywhere, that anyone who looked up to the stars would lay eyes on them. That everyone would see it, as he spun and twirled and laughed with Gon, that everyone would see the love that overflowed from them.

“Don’t let go, don’t look down!” Even as he said the words, Killua knew they were foolish. Gon wouldn’t ever let go of him. Their hands might separate, but there was nothing in the world strong enough to make them truly part. No matter how far away they were, no matter how hard it was, no matter how much it hurt…

“How could I look at anything else but you?”

“Stupid!”

“I know!”

He would always, always love Gon.


End file.
